The impact of bicuspid valve morphology on the selection of transcatheter aortic valve implantation devices: an

Aims: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) represents a challenge for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Few data are reported about the procedural implications of BAV using different self-expandable devices. The aim of this study is to investigate how BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) morphologies influence device selection and their impact on the potential development of post-operative conduction disturbances, using a novel Methods and results: Five patients with BAV undergoing TAVI were enrolled. TAVs were virtually modelled within each BAV patient-specific anatomy, resulting in 10 virtual patients. Acurate Neo2 and Evolut R implantations were subsequently simulated across all cases. Post-implantation stresses exerted on both the stent and aortic root were measured, allowing a comparative analysis of the impact of the two valve morphologies. Comparing stent stresses between BAV and TAV configurations, the stress gap increased by 21.96 ± 5.35% ( Conclusion: Our patient-specific model shows that high radial force devices, such as Evolut R, demonstrate consistent expansion regardless of valve morphology, without increasing the risk of post-implantation conduction disturbances, hence resulting more suitable for BAV cases. Incorporating this methodology into pre-operative planning could support clinicians in selecting the most suitable device with a patient-specific approach.